Indore: Air Asia to start flights for Surat, Kolkata from April

Indore: Though Indore is all set to get a number of flights from March 25 yet there is no flight for new destination. But from next month, leading private carrier Air Asia is going to introduce two flights for Surat and Kolkata.

On March 25, the City airport will witness 31 new flights and after March 25, the total number of flights (arrival+departure) will go up to 89. TK Jose, Chairman MP-CG Chapter of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), said, “This is just beginning. In coming months, the number of flights from the city airport will go up.”

The new airlines, which commenced its operation from March 17 by starting four flights– 2 each for Goa and Bengaluru, is going to hit new destinations soon. The airline would start 2 more flights from next month– one each for Surat and Kolkata. So far no other airliner has flight for the Diamond City. The airliner is now finalising timings for its Surat and Kolkata flights. After finalisation of schedule, the booking will begin.

Jose said the airliner had conducted a survey for operation to Surat and the survey revealed vast potential of passenger traffic from the city to Surat. One of the most important reasons for air traffic is trade ties between the two cities. Besides diamond, Surat is also a textile manufacturing hub. Traders from both cities move frequently. Earlier, the railways was planning to introduce a train between the two cities but it failed to execute the plan till date.

NOTAM to be released today

Owing to 24X7 operation at the airport from March 25, Airport director Aryama Sanyal will release Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to local heads of operating airlines on Thursday. Through this notice, information will be given to the airlines from the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

Foundation day of AAI today

The foundation day of AAI would be celebrated at Jaal Auditorium on Thursday. On the occasion, a felicitation ceremony and cultural programmes would be organised. Sanyal further said that though the AAI Foundation Day falls on April 1, our airport is going to start 24X7 operations from March 25. On this occasion, Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Dubey, Collector Nishant Warwade and IMC Commissioner Manish Singh will launch the airport song also.